This Kevin Starr history book on California is a short overview of the state across a number of perspectives. This is in contrast to his much larger series covering the history of California. I received both for my most recent birthday. I started with this book and will intend to read the entire series in the future.
One description of California that resonated with me in the book was about how it is an emotionally empty place, “I could remember everything about California, but I couldn’t feel it. I tried to get my mind to remember something that it could feel, too, but it was of no use. It was all gone. All of it.”
Another thing that resonated was the intentionality of investing in higer education to fuel the development of so many new industries. This paid off in a big way to help develop mining, aerospace, nuclear, and the technology industries. Paired with this was the mass exodus of the best minds from Europe during the rise of Nazisim. This values of investing in a free people for the betterment of society is worth thinking through, as the counter to this has poor long term effects.
Finally, from the book: “California is like the rest of the United States - only more so.”